While 34-year-old Franco is best known for his work in 127 hours and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, the actor is also a writer, director and painter with a near-obsessive passion for learning. He holds an MFA in poetry from Warren Wilson College and an MFA in creative writing from Brooklyn College.

James Franco as Allen Ginsberg in the movie “Howl”

Franco’s work in film has often involved poetry, whether he was portraying Allen Ginsberg or Hart Crane, or directing films inspired by poetry.

Directing Herbert White is scheduled to be published in April 2014. Graywolf editor Jeffrey Shotts describes the poems as a series of portraits of American successes and failures from within Hollywood.

“They are also smart and highly aware notes of caution of what can happen when the filmed self becomes fixed and duplicated, while the ongoing self must continue living and watching,” added Shotts in a press release.

In 2010 Scribner published a collection of Franco’s short stories titled Palo Alto to mixed reviews. He’s also published a chapbook of poetry titled Strongest of the Litter.

Graywolf plans to bring Franco to Minneapolis for a book launch event in the spring of 2014.